New musical celebrates arts and composer

PLANNING TO BREAK A LEG- Members of the "7th and Schwartz" cast rehearse for the show, which will be performed this weekend. The original play, written by Thousand Oaks resident Debi Lewis, is the kickoff event for the 2009 season of the Festival of New American Musicals. Celebrities will be in the audience at the Thousand Oaks High School performing arts center this weekend when an original show with local roots debuts.

The musical "7th and Schwartz," which celebrates theater composer Steven Schwartz, was conceived, written and produced by Debi Lewis, a Thousand Oaks voice coach, and her son, Asher, a Los Angeles video editor.

On Saturday Joel Grey will be in the audience, and Michael Arden, who will perform the title role in "Pippin" at the Mark Taper Forum in February, will host. After Sunday's performance, Winnie Holtzman, author of the musical "Wicked," will lead a questionandanswer session about her work.

"7th and Schwartz" is a preview of the 2009 season of Festival of New American Musicals, a nonprofit program founded to promote musical theater and showcase Southern California talent. In 2008, the festival's first season, 43 events were held in 36 theaters from Santa Barbara to San Diego, including the Rubicon in Ventura and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and in seven high schools and colleges, with corresponding educational outreach activities.

"I think what they're doing is fantastic—not only giving opportunities to preview new work but to also create a more friendly environment for youth to get involved in new work," Lewis said. "For anyone to get a show on or even off Broadway is so prohibitive. It's really cool for all of us."

The cast of 35 ranges in age from 8 to 77 years old and includes professional actors as well as students from elementary school through college. Hogan Fulton of Newbury Park, who spent the past year playing the lead in "Billy Elliot the Musical" in London's West End theater district, has a role in the show.

"7th and Schwartz" is told through music written by composer Schwartz, an honorary chair of the festival. Lewis and her son Asher took 15 Schwartz songs from shows, including "Wicked," "Pippin," "Godspell," "Children of Eden" and "Enchanted," and used them in a different context to help tell the story of the characters in her musical.

Schwartz will celebrate his 60th birthday this weekend, and he has promised Lewis he will try to attend the show.

Lewis described the "7th and Schwartz" experience as a whirlwind. Festival organizers proposed the idea in August. Lewis and her son wrote the show in early September, then immediately held auditions. Six weeks of rehearsal began in October.

"We all work really well under adrenaline," Lewis said.

For 10 years, Lewis ran a children's theater performing arts company called Stages. She often worked with Thousand Oaks High drama teacher Joseph Donia, renting theater space at the school.

Lewis got involved in the festival after attending a gathering where it was promoted. Festival organizers learned of her work as a voice coach and asked Lewis to provide musical entertainment for a fundraiser held last April. In the summer they asked her to do the 2009 kickoff event with a focus on honoring Schwartz. Lewis and her son sat down with CDs of the composer's music and picked out their favorites.

"The story just kind of wrote itself, and that's how we felt we were on the right track to create the characters," Lewis said. "With Stephen Schwartz there is so much to choose from. He's approved the music and has been very much in the loop about what we're doing and has promised if there's any way he can be there, he will."

Saturday's event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a silent auction of theater memorabilia, followed by the performance at 8 p.m.

The Sunday show begins at 2 p.m. isit www.lafestival.org for tickets.